Disclaimer: Yeah, it's still not mine. But some of it is so: ¡No Tocas
Nada!
A/N: Look, I work very hard on this and my other stories. This is the last chapter that is going up before I've received any positive reviews. I love this story, it was my first, but I can't keep putting so much effort in to it if I'm not going to get any feed back. Thank you to those who have reviewed in the past, you are the reason that this has gone on so long.
Chapter Fourteen: The Lord of the Mountain
The clouds hung low in the gray sky as the party approached the base of the mountain before them. It soared up in to the heavens above the group and faded in to the heavy clouds. "Have you ever seen anything more amazing?" Sheede asked aloud. Both Phillet and Dar could only nod in an awed silence that covered them all.
Suddenly the silence was shattered by the crack of a twig behind them. Dar was the first to turn and with hardly time for a cry of warning he threw himself at Sheede, an arrow burying itself deeply in his shoulder. The group was instantly overrun with dark figures and several hard blows insured that all Phillet or Sheede knew next was blackness.
"Wake up, cat scum!" a harsh voice cried as it broke through Sheede's unconsciousness. She opened her eyes slightly and when she saw a foot flew for her gut to wake her more fully she instantly reacted and sunk her claws deeply into it; she used this to lever herself up to a fighting stance. Looking around she could see she was in a throne room of some sort. Dar lay on a pallet next to her breathing shallowly and Phillet was no where in sight; looking to her left she saw the bundle that bore the sword of Martin laying upon an expertly carved table. Countless giant mountain hares surrounded her; three had rushed forward to carry away the one that Sheede had attacked. Behind the hares she could see a great creature upon a monstrous throne.
Instantly a voice that shook the mountain filled the hall and made Sheede shiver, "Cowardly feline! Is a sneak attack all you have courage enough to make?"
Sheede snarled back at the disdain that enveloped her, "Are idle insults all you have the courage to make?" she demanded harshly, "Where's Phillet? Why were we attacked?!"
"That hare you held captive is safely recuperating in the barracks and you were attacked because you are the scum of the Earth!" the voice barked back.
"I am the scum of the Earth? You are the ones who attacked us and I would've fought you in the open! I say that you are the scum of the Earth! Face me coward!" Instantly a dangerous hush fell over all present, the hares around her scowled darkly and slowly stepped away from between Sheede and the great creature. He was a badger and he was greater and more terrible than any of the Silvercat's nightmares. Scars of all kinds criss- crossed over his gray muzzle and neatly framed his dark iron eyes. Leaning against the throne was a great axe and it was as pitted and marred by battle as its owner.
The badger leaned forward menacingly, "What did you call me, vermin?" he asked in a low growl. Sheede knew that there was no other way to get through to the creature to speak so she forged ahead.
"I called you a coward! Any leader worth a scrap of honor would have more courage than to ambush travelers!" she called back defiantly. The badger narrowed his eyes and reached over to grip the handle of his axe tightly.
"Very well," he said finally, "you seem to know so much about honor. Will you face me now? Or is your hiss worse than your scratch?"
Sheede sneered back, "I will face you anytime."
Almost instantly the badger was out of his throne, axe in hand, and was barreling at Sheede. He moved with a deceptive grace; Sheede would've been quickly felled if she had not anticipated such a surprise. Instead she leapt up allowing the warrior badger to run beneath her, she quickly planted her foot paws on the beast's shoulders and pushed off forcefully, using his own momentum against him. The badger fell hard into the wall behind Sheede and he stood stunned for a moment; the Silvercat used that moment to position herself again. The warrior did not rush her again; rather, he hung back and urged Sheede to make the next attack. She was happy to oblige. Rushing forward she feinted to the left and as the badger reached for her she easily dodged right and dealt him a merciless punch to the jaw. This time the badger fell hard, his axe slipping out of his paw and landing with a clatter at Sheede's footpads; she picked it up as though it weighed nothing. "Now will you be civil?" she asked the dazed creature.
The gray badger stood slowly and looked the Silvercat over, "What's your name cat?" he asked slowly.
"I'm Sheede Silvercat," she pointed over to Dar, "That is Darkness Shadowstrike, he is my ally and he is in need of aid." The gray warrior nodded at two hares who promptly lifted Dar's pallet and carried him out.
The badger sighed, "I am Lord Stonepaw, leader of the High Mountain Patrol. You have done what none could by besting me in battle, and it has taught me humility. I am now your ally as well," he told her, holding out a paw, which she happily embraced.
"Come Stonepaw, there is much to tell and our time is short. I have been sent from the mountain of Salamandastron to seek the next badger lord. I believe that it is you I was sent to find," Sheede began to explain as she led him off to a quiet area.
Phillet awoke with a start to find himself in a strange room with neither Dar nor Sheede in sight. He was sitting up in a comfortable cot that was in the company of several hundred of its twins. Suddenly he heard a soft patter of footsteps to his left and he feigned sleep. Two great hares approached, speaking softly, "Ach, Engie, didja 'ere think that such things would come to pass?" one said.
"Nah Greggor, I didnae; but ye must admit that it's odd that such a raggle taggle bunch idbe workin' together. I say that it speaks for the cat's tale," his companion answered after some thought.
Phillet heard the voices near him, "Well let's see how our wee bairn's doing," Greggor muttered quietly as he stepped closer to Phillet's cot. Phillet decided that there was no point in hiding his consciousness any longer.
"I say, wot's going on?" he asked rolling over. Greggor was a tawny, lean hare whose ears were laced with faded scars and Engie stood behind him. She was a light gray and it complimented her blue eyes; she too was covered with a myriad of battle scars. Both mountain hares stepped back in surprise when Phillet turned over but they grinned and recovered quickly.
"My, my, my Greggor, it seems ta me that he's been eavesdropping on us!" Engie said with a chuckle.
"Ye're right there Engie, ma dear. I suppose I was wrong when I thought that this little one was no threat," came Greggor's playful reply.
Phillet sat more fully up right, "Please Marm and Sir, what is going on?" he asked again. Engie and Greggor settled themselves on either side of Phillet's cot before either began to explain.
A/N: That's all you get until I get some reviews!
A/N: Look, I work very hard on this and my other stories. This is the last chapter that is going up before I've received any positive reviews. I love this story, it was my first, but I can't keep putting so much effort in to it if I'm not going to get any feed back. Thank you to those who have reviewed in the past, you are the reason that this has gone on so long.
Chapter Fourteen: The Lord of the Mountain
The clouds hung low in the gray sky as the party approached the base of the mountain before them. It soared up in to the heavens above the group and faded in to the heavy clouds. "Have you ever seen anything more amazing?" Sheede asked aloud. Both Phillet and Dar could only nod in an awed silence that covered them all.
Suddenly the silence was shattered by the crack of a twig behind them. Dar was the first to turn and with hardly time for a cry of warning he threw himself at Sheede, an arrow burying itself deeply in his shoulder. The group was instantly overrun with dark figures and several hard blows insured that all Phillet or Sheede knew next was blackness.
"Wake up, cat scum!" a harsh voice cried as it broke through Sheede's unconsciousness. She opened her eyes slightly and when she saw a foot flew for her gut to wake her more fully she instantly reacted and sunk her claws deeply into it; she used this to lever herself up to a fighting stance. Looking around she could see she was in a throne room of some sort. Dar lay on a pallet next to her breathing shallowly and Phillet was no where in sight; looking to her left she saw the bundle that bore the sword of Martin laying upon an expertly carved table. Countless giant mountain hares surrounded her; three had rushed forward to carry away the one that Sheede had attacked. Behind the hares she could see a great creature upon a monstrous throne.
Instantly a voice that shook the mountain filled the hall and made Sheede shiver, "Cowardly feline! Is a sneak attack all you have courage enough to make?"
Sheede snarled back at the disdain that enveloped her, "Are idle insults all you have the courage to make?" she demanded harshly, "Where's Phillet? Why were we attacked?!"
"That hare you held captive is safely recuperating in the barracks and you were attacked because you are the scum of the Earth!" the voice barked back.
"I am the scum of the Earth? You are the ones who attacked us and I would've fought you in the open! I say that you are the scum of the Earth! Face me coward!" Instantly a dangerous hush fell over all present, the hares around her scowled darkly and slowly stepped away from between Sheede and the great creature. He was a badger and he was greater and more terrible than any of the Silvercat's nightmares. Scars of all kinds criss- crossed over his gray muzzle and neatly framed his dark iron eyes. Leaning against the throne was a great axe and it was as pitted and marred by battle as its owner.
The badger leaned forward menacingly, "What did you call me, vermin?" he asked in a low growl. Sheede knew that there was no other way to get through to the creature to speak so she forged ahead.
"I called you a coward! Any leader worth a scrap of honor would have more courage than to ambush travelers!" she called back defiantly. The badger narrowed his eyes and reached over to grip the handle of his axe tightly.
"Very well," he said finally, "you seem to know so much about honor. Will you face me now? Or is your hiss worse than your scratch?"
Sheede sneered back, "I will face you anytime."
Almost instantly the badger was out of his throne, axe in hand, and was barreling at Sheede. He moved with a deceptive grace; Sheede would've been quickly felled if she had not anticipated such a surprise. Instead she leapt up allowing the warrior badger to run beneath her, she quickly planted her foot paws on the beast's shoulders and pushed off forcefully, using his own momentum against him. The badger fell hard into the wall behind Sheede and he stood stunned for a moment; the Silvercat used that moment to position herself again. The warrior did not rush her again; rather, he hung back and urged Sheede to make the next attack. She was happy to oblige. Rushing forward she feinted to the left and as the badger reached for her she easily dodged right and dealt him a merciless punch to the jaw. This time the badger fell hard, his axe slipping out of his paw and landing with a clatter at Sheede's footpads; she picked it up as though it weighed nothing. "Now will you be civil?" she asked the dazed creature.
The gray badger stood slowly and looked the Silvercat over, "What's your name cat?" he asked slowly.
"I'm Sheede Silvercat," she pointed over to Dar, "That is Darkness Shadowstrike, he is my ally and he is in need of aid." The gray warrior nodded at two hares who promptly lifted Dar's pallet and carried him out.
The badger sighed, "I am Lord Stonepaw, leader of the High Mountain Patrol. You have done what none could by besting me in battle, and it has taught me humility. I am now your ally as well," he told her, holding out a paw, which she happily embraced.
"Come Stonepaw, there is much to tell and our time is short. I have been sent from the mountain of Salamandastron to seek the next badger lord. I believe that it is you I was sent to find," Sheede began to explain as she led him off to a quiet area.
Phillet awoke with a start to find himself in a strange room with neither Dar nor Sheede in sight. He was sitting up in a comfortable cot that was in the company of several hundred of its twins. Suddenly he heard a soft patter of footsteps to his left and he feigned sleep. Two great hares approached, speaking softly, "Ach, Engie, didja 'ere think that such things would come to pass?" one said.
"Nah Greggor, I didnae; but ye must admit that it's odd that such a raggle taggle bunch idbe workin' together. I say that it speaks for the cat's tale," his companion answered after some thought.
Phillet heard the voices near him, "Well let's see how our wee bairn's doing," Greggor muttered quietly as he stepped closer to Phillet's cot. Phillet decided that there was no point in hiding his consciousness any longer.
"I say, wot's going on?" he asked rolling over. Greggor was a tawny, lean hare whose ears were laced with faded scars and Engie stood behind him. She was a light gray and it complimented her blue eyes; she too was covered with a myriad of battle scars. Both mountain hares stepped back in surprise when Phillet turned over but they grinned and recovered quickly.
"My, my, my Greggor, it seems ta me that he's been eavesdropping on us!" Engie said with a chuckle.
"Ye're right there Engie, ma dear. I suppose I was wrong when I thought that this little one was no threat," came Greggor's playful reply.
Phillet sat more fully up right, "Please Marm and Sir, what is going on?" he asked again. Engie and Greggor settled themselves on either side of Phillet's cot before either began to explain.
A/N: That's all you get until I get some reviews!